News Watch

A man armed with a knife attacked people at random at a grocery store in Hamburg, Germany, on July 28, killing one person and injuring six others. The attacker, arrested at the scene, was identified as a failed asylum-seeker from the UAE and was described as a “known Islamist but not a jihadist.” Police also said that the man was “suffering from mental health problems.”

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The Catalan-independence and anti-tourism activist group Arran is being blamed for two attacks on tourist services in Barcelona, Spain. 

On July 27, four men attacked a tour bus, slashing the tires and spray-painting “El Turisme Mata Els Barris” (“Tourism Kills Neighborhoods”) on its side. 

On Sept. 1, a video was released by Arran showing members slashing the tires of rental bikes, which are a popular way for tourists to get around in...

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Heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in Japan’s southern island of Kyushu in early July, killing at least 27 people and causing hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes. At least 20 people were still missing as of press time. One railway bridge was destroyed, and many roads were blocked with debris, causing difficulties in reaching some stranded people. Most roads had been cleared as of press time.

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An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of the island of Lesbos, Greece, on June 12, injuring at least 10 people and damaging buildings across the island. The earthquake was felt as far away as Istanbul, Turkey.

On July 21, a 6.7-magnitude quake struck off the coast of the island of Kos, Greece, killing two people and injuring at least 115 more. That quake, too, was felt in Turkey and injured at least 358 people, though none seriously, in the city of...

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After reviewing reports of tourists falling ill following the consumption of alcohol at resorts in Mexico, including the case of one woman who died in a resort pool near Playa del Carmen after imbibing alcohol served to her at a swim-up bar, the US State Department warned, “There have been allegations that consumption of tainted or substandard alcohol has resulted in illness or blacking out. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation and to stop and seek...

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As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 41 destinations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia...

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A massive forest fire occurred in the Pedrógão Grande region of central Portugal in mid-June, killing at least 64 people and injuring more than 250 others. Many of those killed were in their cars and in the process of evacuating the area when the fire overtook them. 

The fire was brought under control on June 21 after burning more than 34,000 acres. A smaller fire in the neighboring Góis district was extinguished on June 22.

The cause of the fire is believed to have been a...

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A landslide on June 24 in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, killed at least 10 people, with more than 90 people still missing as of press time. The landslide, estimated to be more than 363 million cubic feet in size, was caused by heavy rains. It destroyed more than 40 homes in a small mountain village in Maoxian county and also blocked a river. According to locals, the area is prone to landslides but not usually ones of this size. 

Chinese officials believe that mountains in...

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